Jury finds South Bend man guilty of attempted murder

Attempted murder could bring sentence of 20-50 years.

Attempted murder could bring sentence of 20-50 years.

September 19, 2008|By PABLO ROS Tribune Staff Writer

After five hours of deliberation, a jury on Thursday found a 42-year-old South Bend man guilty of attempted murder in the 2007 shooting of a man whose survival has seemed miraculous. Terry Fennessee was found guilty of attempted murder in the shooting of Tim Watson on April 15, 2007, outside a Maple Lane apartment building. The verdict came after a three-day trial at which both victim and defendant testified. Fennessee seemed to suppress emotion as he walked out of Judge Jane Woodward Miller's courtroom about 10 p.m. He will be back for sentencing on the Class A felony, which carries 20 to 50 years in prison, Oct. 21. At the time of Watson's shooting, Fennessee and Tasha Townsend were going through a divorce. Watson and Townsend had dated more than a decade earlier, and Watson was dropping off their child at Townsend's home when Fennessee shot him. At trial, Fennessee claimed self-defense, telling jurors that Watson had threatened his life moments before, and that he believed Watson to be dangerous and to have ready access to a firearm. In fact, Watson was not carrying a weapon that night. Watson said Fennessee asked him if he and Townsend had more recently been "messing around" or romantically involved before he shot him. He said Fennessee had seemed high on drugs or disturbed. When he took the witness stand Thursday, Fennessee spoke nervously and had to be told by a judge to slow down. He also seemed to ramble at times and had to be told by both his attorney and the deputy prosecutor to stick to the subject of the question. Fennessee claimed he did not try to kill Watson, but to keep him from getting a weapon he believed he had in his car, which was parked nearby. He said he pulled out his gun when Watson turned away from him. "... and I shot him as he was walking to the driver's side ...," he said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry...." Two children, including Watson's 3-year-old daughter, were in Watson's car at the time and witnessed the shooting. Fennessee shot Watson five times in the upper body, including once to the head. Watson said a bullet was lodged in his lung after he received treatment and stayed there until he coughed it up during a coughing fit. Watson said he has a permanent limp, and that his vision and memory have been affected, as a result of the shooting. Staff writer Pablo Ros: pros@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6357